Brazilian authorities have forced the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), which was playing hard ball, to accept the idea that playing in the heat and humidity of the north and north east regions of country could seriously affect the health and performance of the players, especially those who find the conditions alien to them.
The Mexico-Netherlands game saw tennis-style towel-breaks for the first time in World Cup history. While the USA-Portugal June 22 game in Manaus too was stopped for water-breaks, Fifa said Sunday's Fortaleza game was the first official game.
Fifa, however, was acting on a Brazil court order to halt play in intense heat. It was after a petition filed by the Brazilian footballers union, protesting against the 1pm kick-offs here, that the court gave this order. A fine of 200,000 reals (about $90,000) per each match hangs over Fifa's head in case of failure to comply.
The ruling states that that water breaks would be necessary in all football matches played in Brazil if the temperature reached 32 degrees Celsius in the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature index, which takes into account factors such as time of day, cloud cover, wind, humidity and location.
The court also said football's world governing body is responsible for registering the temperature during matches by using certified equipment.
According to official figures, the Dutch and Mexican teams ran a combined distance of 225 km in the 32 degree Celsius and 68% humidity of Fortaleza on Sunday. The Mexicans ran 44.3 km without the ball, a game they heartbreakingly lost in the last minute.
After half an hour and in the 75th minute, when both teams walked out for a break, it almost became a 'Where were you when it happened?' moment in World Cup history.
Twenty four matches were scheduled for 1 pm local time (2130 IST) kick-off at this World Cup, of which only two are yet to be played. After a tough win against Iran in Belo Horizonte, Leo Messi had complained about the conditions.
The Brazilian authorities did not want 1 pm kick-offs for centres like Manaus and Fortaleza, since the day-time heat and humidity could be a huge factor but the world body was unmoved, adamant on afternoon kick-offs since it matched TV primetime in Europe. It was the same policy they had adopted for the 1994 World Cup in the US. Fifa argued that they had spent two years in determining kick-off timings for Brazil and it was too late to change anything.
Now, while Fifa would claim credit for this latest 'innovation', especially with an eye on Qatar 2022, the truth is that it was a recent industry/work conditions directive in Brazil that has caused it - an indication of how the people's voice is heard here.
The Mexico-Netherlands game saw tennis-style towel-breaks for the first time in World Cup history. While the USA-Portugal June 22 game in Manaus too was stopped for water-breaks, Fifa said Sunday's Fortaleza game was the first official game.
Fifa, however, was acting on a Brazil court order to halt play in intense heat. It was after a petition filed by the Brazilian footballers union, protesting against the 1pm kick-offs here, that the court gave this order. A fine of 200,000 reals (about $90,000) per each match hangs over Fifa's head in case of failure to comply.
The ruling states that that water breaks would be necessary in all football matches played in Brazil if the temperature reached 32 degrees Celsius in the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature index, which takes into account factors such as time of day, cloud cover, wind, humidity and location.
The court also said football's world governing body is responsible for registering the temperature during matches by using certified equipment.
According to official figures, the Dutch and Mexican teams ran a combined distance of 225 km in the 32 degree Celsius and 68% humidity of Fortaleza on Sunday. The Mexicans ran 44.3 km without the ball, a game they heartbreakingly lost in the last minute.
After half an hour and in the 75th minute, when both teams walked out for a break, it almost became a 'Where were you when it happened?' moment in World Cup history.
Twenty four matches were scheduled for 1 pm local time (2130 IST) kick-off at this World Cup, of which only two are yet to be played. After a tough win against Iran in Belo Horizonte, Leo Messi had complained about the conditions.
The Brazilian authorities did not want 1 pm kick-offs for centres like Manaus and Fortaleza, since the day-time heat and humidity could be a huge factor but the world body was unmoved, adamant on afternoon kick-offs since it matched TV primetime in Europe. It was the same policy they had adopted for the 1994 World Cup in the US. Fifa argued that they had spent two years in determining kick-off timings for Brazil and it was too late to change anything.
Now, while Fifa would claim credit for this latest 'innovation', especially with an eye on Qatar 2022, the truth is that it was a recent industry/work conditions directive in Brazil that has caused it - an indication of how the people's voice is heard here.
